Washington Nationals right fielder Jayson Werth’s broken left wrist, suffered in Sunday’s 7-1 loss to the Philadelphia Phillies, will cause him to miss up to three months after surgery Monday, MLB.com reported.

Werth underwent surgery on the wrist at the Mayo Clinic in Minnesota. An anonymous source cited by MLB.com said Werth will be sidelined "at least 12 weeks."

Nationals manager Davey Johnson had told reporters after the game that Werth’s absence could be measured in months because of the injury, sustained while making a sliding sixth-inning catch.

It is only the latest in a string of injuries that have hit the Nationals, who nonetheless are 18-10 and in first place in the NL East: Michael Morse, slated to be the team's cleanup hitter, hasn't played because of an injured back muscle. Third baseman Ryan Zimmerman has been on the disabled list with a shoulder injury. And fill-in cleanup hitter Adam LaRoche has missed the past four games because of a sore right side muscle.

Zimmerman and LaRoche are hoping to return for Washington's next game, Tuesday night at Pittsburgh.

“We seem to be getting more healthy and boom, another one of our main guys goes down,” Johnson said, according to the Washington Post. “We’ve dealt with it before. We’ll deal with it again. We’re not alone.”

Werth, the Nationals everyday right fielder, was enjoying a solid season so far (.276/.372/.439) but suffered what Johnson called a “clean break” of the wrist.

That it’s his left wrist is noteworthy. His career was almost derailed when he was hit by a pitch on the same wrist in 2005.

The wrist was broken in March that year, when Werth, playing for the Los Angeles Dodgers, was hit by a pitch from the Florida Marlins’ A.J. Burnett in a Grapefruit League game.

Werth played in 102 games in 2005, but missed the entire 2006 season because of complications from the injury and subsequent surgery.

According to a team spokesman, Werth was scheduled to consult today at the Mayo Clinic with the same specialist who helped him recover from that injury. Apparently they determined to proceed with the surgery.

After Sunday’s game, the Nats clubhouse was almost silent, more so than normal after losses, the Post reported.

“It’s a sad, sad thing for him,” Jordan Zimmermann said. “He’s one of our leaders and now he’s going to be gone for a few months.”

Added Adam LaRoche: “It’s never a good time for anybody, especially a guy in the heart of the lineup.”

Werth's injury would seem to all but ensure that Harper will stick in the major leagues for good. He already has been hitting third, and Werth's extended absence creates a long-term need in the outfield.